NIV or KJB (detailed comparison)

I TIMOTHY 3:16: The clearest verse in the Bible proclaiming that Jesus Christ was God. The King James Bible (KJB) reads, "And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: GOD WAS MANIFEST IN THE FLESH. . ." The King James says, plainly, "GOD was manifest in the flesh". The NIV reads, "HE appeared in a body". The NIV "twists" "GOD" to "HE". "HE appeared in a body"? So What? Everyone has appeared in a body! 
 

PHILIPPIANS 2:6: The KJB again, clearly declares the deity of Jesus Christ: "Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery TO BE EQUAL WITH GOD" The NIV reads, "Who, being in very nature God, DID NOT CONSIDER EQUALITY WITH GOD something to be grasped,".
 

LUKE 2:33: The King James Bible reads, "And JOSEPH and his mother marvelled at those things which were spoken of him." The NIV reads, "The CHILD'S FATHER and mother marveled at what was said about him." The "CHILD'S FATHER"? Was Joseph Jesus's father? Not if you believe the virgin birth! Not if you believe John 3:16, that Jesus Christ was the Son of God! 

COLOSSIANS 1:14: The KJB reads, "In whom we have redemption THROUGH HIS BLOOD, even the forgiveness of sins:" The NIV reads, "In whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins." The NIV rips out the precious words "THROUGH HIS BLOOD"! Friend, redemption is ONLY "THROUGH HIS BLOOD". Hebrews 9:22, reads, ". . . without shedding of BLOOD is no remission." That old song says, "What can wash away my sins, NOTHING BUT THE BLOOD OF JESUS!"
 

JOHN 3:16: The NIV reads, "For God so loved the world that he gave his ONE AND ONLY SON, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life" Jesus was NOT "the one and only son" - Adam is called the "son of God" in Luke 3:38, there are "sons of God" in Job 1:6 and Christians are called "sons of God" in Phil 2:15, I John 3:2- but Jesus was the "ONLY BEGOTTEN SON"! By removing the critical word "BEGOTTEN"
 

In Matt. 8:2, 9:18, 15:25, 18:26, 20:20, Mark 5:6, 15:19 "worshipped him" is removed in the NIV! Why doesn't the NIV want Jesus Christ to be worshipped? Hint: see Luke 4:7, Matt. 4:9.

Isaiah 14:14 reveals Satan's grandest desire, "I will be like the most High." And with a little subtil perversion - the NIV in Isaiah 14:12 grants Satan's wish!

ISAIAH 14:12: The KJB reads, "How art thou fallen from heaven, O LUCIFER, son of the morning!. . ." The NIV PERversion reads, "How you have fallen from heaven, O MORNING STAR, son of the dawn. . ." The NIV change "Lucifer" to "MORNING STAR".

BUT WAIT. . . I thought the Lord Jesus Christ was the MORNING STAR? Doesn't Revelation 22:16 say, "I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and MORNING STAR".

The NIV CLEARY AND BLATANTLY makes LUCIFER -- The Lord Jesus Christ! WHAT BLASPHEMY! WHAT PERVERSION! And Christians claim the NIV is a "better translation"! 

ISAIAH 14:15: The King James Bible condemns Lucifer to hell: "Yet thou shalt be brought down to HELL . . ." The NIV does NOT condemn Lucifer to HELL! The NIV reads, "But you are brought down to the GRAVE. . ." We all go to the GRAVE! Why doesn't the NIV want Satan in hell?

The word "hell" occurs 31 times in the Old Testament in the King James Bible. In the Old Testament of the NIV it occurs - ZERO! The word "hell" is NOT in the Old Testament of the NIV!

And what do they do with "hell"? Take PSALM 9:17 for example: The King James reads, "The wicked shall be turned into HELL. . ." The NIV, reads, "The wicked return to the GRAVE. . ." We ALL "return to the GRAVE"! By removing "hell" the NIV perverts Psalm 9:17 into nonsense! 

In the New Testament the NIV zaps out "hell" 9 times. And what "clearer" "easier to understand" word does the NIV "update" hell with? Five times they use - HADES! (Matt 16:18, Rev 1:18, 6:8, 20:13,14) What "common person" understands HADES? Everybody knows what HELL is! Do you know what HADES is? Hades is not always a place of torment or terror. The Assyrian Hades is an abode of blessedness with silver skies called "Happy Fields". In the satanic New Age Movement, Hades is an intermediate state of purification! Webster's New Collegiate Dictionary defines HADES: "the underground abode of the dead in Greek MYTHOLOGY".
 

LUKE 11:2-4: The KJB reads, ". . .Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth. Give us day by day our daily bread. And forgive us our sins; for we also forgive every one that is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil." The NIV removes everything that refers to a Holy God in heaven -"WHICH ART IN HEAVEN. . . Thy will be done, AS IN HEAVEN, so in earth. . . but DELIVER US FROM EVIL." Everything that distinguishes God from the Devil is REMOVED! "OUR FATHER" of the NIV is "NOT IN HEAVEN" and "DOES NOT DELIVER FROM EVIL!" I wonder who it could be? (hint: see John 8:44)
 

Deuteronomy 4:2 reads: "YE SHALL NOT ADD unto the word which I command you, NEITHER SHALL YE DIMINISH ought from it . . ."

 

Proverbs 30:6, reads, "ADD THOU NOT unto his words . . ."

And just in case you missed it, GOD'S LAST WARNING is Revelation 22:18,19, ". . . If any man SHALL ADD unto these things. . . And if any man shall TAKE AWAY FROM THE WORDS of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life. . ."

And Jesus Christ, in Luke 8:12, gives a clear aim of Satan, ". . . then cometh the devil, and TAKETH AWAY the word . . ." 

The NIV completely "TAKETH AWAY" 17 verses!

Wonderful and precious verses like:
MATTHEW 18:11: "For the Son of man is come to save that which was lost.".
ACTS 8:37: "And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God."

The NIV PERversion completely "TAKETH AWAY" Matthew 17:21, 18:11, 23:14, Mark 7:16, 9:44, 9:46, 11:26, 15:28, Luke 17:36, 23:17, John 5:4, Acts 8:37, 15:34, 24:7, 28:28, Romans 16:24 and 1 John 5:7!
 

After Mark 16:8 the NIV says, "The most reliable early manuscripts and other ancient witnesses do not have Mark 16:9-20." ZAP-There goes another 12 verses! And by the way, that is absolutely untrue! The book, The Last Twelve Verses of the Gospel of Mark, by Dean Burgon contains over 400 pages of documented evidence for Mark 16:9-20, that has never been refuted, nor ever will! 

After John 7:52, the NIV, reads, "The earliest and most reliable manuscripts and other ancient witnesses do not have John 7:53-8:11" ZAP-There goes another 12 verses!

Matt. 12:47, 21:44, Luke 22:43 and 22:44 are all removed in the footnotes! 

That's 45 complete verses the NIV removes from the text or in the footnotes! 

The NIV "TAKETH AWAY" 64,576 words!

Don't look for the "mercyseat" in the NIV - GONE!
Don't look for "Jehovah" in the NIV - GONE!
Don't look for the "Godhead" in the NIV - GONE!

The NIV removes wonderful Bible "terms" like remission, regeneration, impute, propitiation, new testament and many others!

Despite God's clear warnings about "taking away" from His words - the NIV removes 64,576 words! Over 8 percent of God's word is "TAKETH AWAY"! 

That equals the same as REMOVING the books of Ruth, Esther, Ecclesiastes, Song of Solomon, Lamentations, Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Malachi, Colossians, I Thessalonians, II Thessalonians, I Timothy, II Timothy, Titus, Philemon, James, I Peter, II Peter, I John, II John, III John, Jude and more - COMBINED!!! The equivalence of ripping out OVER 30 BOOKS of the Bible!

 

In case you think it's insignificant words like "thee" and "thou"? The NIV removes major portions of at least 147 verses!

Here's a small (very small) sampling of words removed in the NIV!

 

Matt. 6:13, "For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen."
Matt. 15:8, "This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth"
Matt. 19:9, "and whoso marrieth her which is put away doth commit adultery."
Matt. 20:7, "and whatsoever is right, that shall ye receive."
Matt. 20:16, "for many be called, but few chosen."
Matt. 20:22, "and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with"
Matt. 25:13, "wherein the Son of Man cometh."
Matt. 27:35, "that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet They parted my garments among them and upon my vesture did they cast lots"
Mark 6:11, "Verily I say unto you, it shall be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrha in the day of judgment, than for that city."
Mark 10:21, "take up the cross."
Luke 1:28, "blessed art thou among women"
Luke 4:4, "but by every word of God"
Luke 4:8, "get thee behind me Satan"
Luke 4:18, "he hath sent me to heal the broken hearted"
Luke 11:2-4, "Our ... which art in ... Thy will be done, as in heaven so in earth... but deliver us from evil"
John 1:27, "is preferred before me"
John 3:13, "which is in heaven"
John 3:15, "should not perish"
John 11:41, "from the place where the dead was laid"
John 16:16, "because I go to the Father"
Acts 10:6, "he shall tell thee what thou oughtest to do"
Acts 15:18, "Known unto God are all his works"
Acts 20:24, "But none of these things move me"
Acts 23:9, "let us not fight against God"
Rom. 8:1, "who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit"
Rom. 13:9, "Thou shalt not bear false witness"
I Cor. 6:20, "and in your spirit which are God's"
I Cor. 11:24; "Take eat... broken"
II Cor. 10:4, "but mighty through God"
Gal. 3:1, "that you should not obey the truth"
Eph. 5:30, "of his flesh, and of his bones"
Phil. 3:16, "let us mind the same thing"
I Tim. 6:5, "from such wthdraw thyself"
Heb. 7:21, "after the order of Melchisedec"
I Pet. 1:22, "through the Spirit"
I Pet. 4:14, "on their part he is evil spoken of, but on your part he is glorified"
I John 4:3, "Christ is come in the flesh"
I John 5:13, "and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God"
Rev. 1:11, "I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last"
Rev. 5:14, "him that liveth for ever and ever"
Rev. 14:5, "before the throne of God"
Rev. 21:24, "of them which are saved" 

Jesus Christ says, in Luke 4:4, ". . . It is written, That man shall not live by bread alone, but by EVERY WORD of God." But not according to the NIV! In fact, the NIV even "TAKETH AWAY" the last half of Luke 4:4 - "BUT BY EVERY WORD OF GOD"! 

LIE 1) The NIV "just" updates the "archaic" words and makes it "easier to understand". Nothing is "really changed.
FACT: The NIV denys the deity of Jesus Christ; the virgin birth; glorifies Satan; openly lie; removes 17 complete verses and 64,576 words! 

LIE 2) The NIV is easier to read and understand.
FACT: According to a Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level research study, The King James Bible is by far the easiest! Out of 26 different categories - the King James graded easier in a whopping 23! In selected analysis, the KJB average grade level was 5.8 - the NIV was 8.4! (New Age Bible Versions, Riplinger, pp.195-209) 

LIE 3) Older and more reliable manuscripts have been discovered since the King James Bible.
FACT: Dr. Sam Gipp writes, "The fact is, that the King James translators had ALL OF THE READINGS available to them that modern critics have available to them today." (The Answer Book, Gipp, p.110) And furthermore, it is a well documented fact that 90 - 95 per cent of all readings agree with the King James Bible! 

LIE 4) The NIV is more accurate.
FACT: The KJB is a literal word for word translation. When the translators had to add words for sentence structure they are in italics. The NIV uses "dynamic equivalence". Rather than a word for word translation, they add, change and subtract to make the verse say what they "thought" it should! The Preface to the NIV even says, ". . .they have striven for more than a word-for-word translation. . ."

Beauty

 

In 1Peter 3:3-4 Peter tells the women in his letter their beauty should not come from jewelry or outer adornments. Rather, their beauty should be born out of their inner selves, their meek and quiet spirits.

Now I have known many ladies to interpret this verse in two different ways that are incorrect.

Firstly lets look at the verse “1 Peter 3:3-4 (KJV)

“Whose adorning let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting the hair, and of wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel;
 But let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price.”

Most women read 1Peter 3:3 and interpret it as saying it does not matter what we wear or how we wear our clothes because God loves what is inside of us. It is true that God loves what is inside every woman who has accepted Him as savior but we live in a sinful world and if a woman chooses to dress proactively she will seduce others around her with her body regardless if that was her intentions. 

God does not look at intentions He looks at the sin that was created and established. If a woman causes another person to sin because of what she choose to wear the blame is on the woman and the other person.  However if a woman chooses to dress in a way of a “meek and quiet spirit” and another person still looks on them with lust the blame is not on the woman because she was doing what God asked of her. 

God created us as women to be beautiful and precious. He wants us to protect our bodies. But this leads me into the next false interpretation. Some women take 1Peter 3:4 and interpret it in such a way that says they must never cause conflict of any kind and this includes sharing the gospel. Let me explain God wants women to use their mind and soul to reach others but we must remember he said a meek spirit not a weak spirit, we must be meek and graceful with our faith. He said a quiet spirit and not a silent one in regards to sharing the gospel.  

Judging

Christians are often accused of "judging" whenever they speak out against a sinful activity. However, that is not the meaning of the Scripture verses that state, "Do not judge." There is a righteous kind of judgment we are supposed to exercise—with careful discernment (John 7:24). When Jesus told us not to judge (Matthew 7:1-5), He was telling us not to judge hypocritically.

People think you are judging if you challenge people to stop sinning. “How dare you even think I am sinning!” However, encouraging a life of holiness is not judging. Speaking out against sin—in all its form—is not judging.

Jesus warns against judging someone else for his sin when you yourself are sinning even worse. That is the kind of judging Jesus commanded us not to do. If a believer sees another believer sinning, it is his Christian duty to lovingly and respectfully confront the person with his sin (Matthew 18:15-17).

This is not judging, but rather pointing out the truth in hope—and with the ultimate goal—of bringing repentance in the other person (James 5:20) and restoration to the fellowship. We are to speak the truth in love (Ephesians 4:15). We are to proclaim what God's Word says about sin. We are to "judge" sin, but always with the goal of presenting the solution for sin and its consequences—the Lord Jesus Christ (John 14:6).

20 reasons to be a thankful Disciple

This Blog will list 20 reasons to be a thankful Disciple.

But First what is a Disciple: The dictionary defines a disciple as,  "Someone who follows another person or another way of life and who submits himself to the discipline (teaching) of that leader or way. (Bakers Ency. of the Bible. Vol 1, pg 629)

There are many who call themselves “Christians” yet do not necessarily call themselves “Disciples of Jesus”. To be a disciple one must be following the leaders teachings (i.e. Jesus and His teachings). My belief is that first you are Saved, and then the process of becoming conformed to that leader or belief begins (Baptism, Bible Study and more Bible Study, Missions Work etc.)

Often we understand the disciples were only the twelve, however, it was the name given to all who believed in Christ. (Acts 6:1-2, 7) All those who were saved were called  "disciples". (Acts 11:26) The disciples were then begun to be called "Christians" meaning "Christ like ones"! It is unscriptural to teach that a person can be a "Christian" and not be a disciple. I believe this to be one of the greatest failures of Christian teaching. [but lets leave that for another blog, this is a Thanksgiving themed blog]  

20 Reasons to Be a Thankful Disciple

1) I am thankful for The Bible because it portrays an incredibly consistent picture of the Messiah throughout all of its 66 of its Books, written by approximately 40 men who were inspired to record in writing the Word of God. These men were from all walks of life, with different kinds of personalities, and in all sorts of situations, They had no e-mail, no faxes, no phones. Imagine trying to pull together a project like this over a 1500-year period. It was written in three languages, Greek Aramaic and Hebrew, on three continents, and it covers hundreds of controversial subjects. Yet, it fits together into one cohesive story.

2) I am thankful for my salvation because those who have repented of their sins and accepted Christ as Savior can have the assurance of their personal salvation in Jesus Christ and freedom from death.

3) I am thankful for prayer because it is my direct access to God and His assistance.

4) I am thankful for forgiveness, the forgiveness of my sins through Jesus and His sacrifice as well as forgiveness between our brothers and sisters.

5) I am thankful for The Church, which is a gathering of called out people, by the power of the Holy spirit on the basis of the work of Jesus Christ on the cross of Calvary. They have been saved, separated, sanctified, and regenerated to be the family of God. They follow Christ, learn from Him and any one can notice their Christ-like behaviour.

6) I am thankful for marriage in its Biblical form and fashioned to honor God as a symbol of Jesus Christ, the husband and groom, and His church, the wife and bride. The Bible is a love story about a loving Hero who defends His bride and defeats His enemies through self-sacrifice and in the end He and His bride can be together again.

7) I am thankful for the first diciples, the apostles and many other notorious men of the Bible. These men were from multiple cultures came from a variety of occupations: kings, fishermen, tax collectors, shepherds, prophets, and even a physician. God choose these men to do His amazing works and because of them we know that no matter how small or insignificant our lives may seem, God created each and every one of us for a purpose.

8) I am thankful for the women of the Bible who continue to teach us how to live authentic, God-touched lives. The women of the Bible are fascinating, feisty, beautiful and courageous. God choose these women to do His amazing works and because of them we know that no matter how small or insignificant our lives may seem, God created each and every one of us for a purpose.

9) I am thankful that I found a church, a safe place where men can be men and women can be women. We know why it’s important to let God lead our hearts, mind and actions. We know the tricks Satan will pull to lead us astray and we have the tools to fight Him while allowing our blessed Savior to touch the other lives around us.

10) I am thankful for the kindness of strangers.

11) I am thankful for the Joy that comes in knowing my Savior.

12) I am thankful for the strength to be faithful that can be found through God alone.

13) I am thankful for The Holy Trinity. The word "Trinity" comes from the Latin noun "trinitas" meaning "three are one." The Trinity expresses the belief that God is one Being made up of three distinct Persons who exist in co-equal essence and co-eternal communion. The Bible speaks of: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. The Father who promises to be my safe place during difficult times. The Son who came to the world and through His life and death provided the atoning sacrifice for the sins of the world. The Holy Sprit  who is the Comforter and Counselor

14) I am thankful to know that one day I will be able to meet everyone of my fellow brothers and sisters in heaven. Especially those I did not have the pleasure of meeting in this world. If we cannot make to see each other in this life, We can see each other in another life.

15) I am thankful for the removal anxiety, fear and selfishness because of Gods grace. I also have a decreased appetite for lying, cheating, stealing, hatred, anger, & envy Due to the work of the Holy Spirit within us.

16) I am thankful for Gods Grace.

17) I am thankful for Gods Love. God the Father is the perfect example for all earthly fathers. His most outstanding quality is love.

18) I am thankful for Gods Holiness & Perfect Judgment. God is holy, just and fair.

19) I am thankful for Free Will. God imprinted the ability to decide for ourselves. It can be a blessing or a curse and literally the choice is yours to make which path you will choose.

20) I am thankful for the knowledge, it was the first sin that we ever committed as humans. The need to know, the lust for knowledge. However with it we are allowed to ask questions, we are even allowed to question the Lord. In my time and study God is amazingly patient and understanding with us. And it is through my own personal questioning of the Bible the lead me to realize God is 100% correct in everything He does and the knowledge He has is infinite.

There are so many more reasons to be thankful with God as the rock you stand on. I pray that everyone has a blessed, loving, grace filled and holy Thanksgiving

Grief

When you are very sad, I know you do not want to talk about the Bible or hear that "you need Jesus" but I am very serious about this because I love you. The best way I know to ease the pains of grief is to focus 100% on God and His word. Not to remove them but to ease them, because with pain there is learning, growth and renewal. 

When you are going through struggles and your life is challenging at times, it is so important for you to give yourself time to grieve. In order to do that safely let God romance your heart and keep your heartbeat beating steadily onward. Remember this verse:

(Isaiah 40:28-31)  
Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no searching of his understanding.  

He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength.  

Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall: But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.

Should Christians show tolerance towards Sin? (John 8:4-11)

     One of the most commonly used notions presented towards Christianity is "tolerance" especially when discussing the fact that Jesus Christ asks us to love everyone. In this blog I will examine the scripture John 8:4-11 because this is true that we are called to love everyone but we are never called to love sin. Tolerance is a good word, but we have applied it too often where it does not belong. The word "tolerance” in no way implies the compromise of one's convictions and in no way implies a yielding of Biblical Doctrine upon important issues.

     I do believe 100% in respecting people’s opinion even if it differs from mine. That is their right as human beings. However isn’t it interesting that God loves us all and also does not tolerate sin but the world accuses the church of not practicing tolerance in a way befitting towards a mans sin. The world asks the church to accept sin as adequate behavior even though God denies all sin from entering into heaven. We must remember that the church is called by God to love the man, help the man, teach the man, baptize the man and also expose the sin.

     
     [For further reference look at the Fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5:16-26 where the spiritual goodness found in heaven is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness and temperance. And where spiritual evil never allowed in heaven is adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and other negitive behavior.]

     

     Think about it, do you really want a judge to be tolerant? He smiles at rapists and says, “I don’t judge you.” He grins at molesters and says, “People just don’t understand your feelings.” Of course you would be horrified and offended that a judge would tolerate crime. Yet, people get this idea that God tolerates wrong. He does not! You might say, “Yeah, but God is the only One who can judge and we are not suppose to judge.” Oh, I would agree we are not supposed to judge. This does not mean, however, that we are supposed to be tolerant. There is a difference. To judge is to find a person guilty and proceed with punishment. In other words, judgment includes punishing the wrong doer.   

     
     An example of this is when people brought to Jesus a woman caught in adultery and they asked Him, “Master, this woman was taken in adultery, in the very act. Now Moses in the law commanded us, that such should be stoned: but what sayest thou? This they said, tempting him, that they might have to accuse him.” (John 8:4-6) This was not a matter of asking Jesus whether or not the woman sinned. Of course she sinned. There was also no dispute over whether adultery was a sin. The question posed to Christ is whether or not we proceed with the punishment prescribed in the Law of Moses. Judgment must include punishment. If a judge only had the power to find a person guilty but no had power to sentence him, then he would not be acting as a true judge.
    
     Jesus gave the famous answer, “Jesus stooped down, and with his finger wrote on the ground, as though he heard them not. So when they continued asking him, he lifted up himself, and said unto them, He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her.” (John 8:6-7). As you know, the people dropped their rocks and went away. “being convicted by their own conscience, went out one by one, beginning at the eldest, even unto the last: and Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst.” (John 8:9) But what many do not know is what Jesus said to the woman, “When Jesus had lifted up himself, and saw none but the woman, he said unto her, Woman, where are those thine accusers? hath no man condemned thee? She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.” (John 8:10-11).
    
     Jesus was without sin, and therefore could have thrown the stones at her, but instead of throwing stones He forgave her. But He also warned her, “Leave your life of sin.”  According to many people’s definition of judging, Jesus judged her by even encouraging her to stop sinning. You see, people think you are judging if you challenge people to stop sinning. How dare you even think I am sinning! To even point out the obvious—that sin is sin—is considered judging by many. However, encouraging a life of holiness is not judging. Speaking out against sin—in all its form—is not judging. If we could not speak out against sin without being accused of judging, then we would have to stop preaching the Bible. The Bible talks about what sin is.

    

     We have become tolerant about divorce; we have become tolerant about the use of alcohol; we have become tolerant about delinquency; we have become tolerant about wickedness in high places; we have become tolerant about immorality; we have become tolerant about crime and we have become tolerant about godlessness. We have become tolerant of unbelief. May I say what people really want? They want to remove homosexuality from the list of sins. While some churches are departing from the Bible and changing their moral views, the Word of God will continue to have homosexuality as part of a list of grievous sins.

    

     The trouble with preaching tolerance is it lacks a true and full understanding of Who God is. God is both holy and love. He is not just holy without love. And He is not love without holiness. He is both holy and love. Since God is holy, He is absolutely righteous. He lives holy. He acts righteously. There is no sin or impurity in God. He is pure holiness. When the angels see God in His Glory, the first thing to come out of their mouths is, “Holy, Holy, Holy.” They recognize the holiness of God.

    

     Tolerance according to the world is showing love without holiness. This is a distortion of God’s character. This is why Christians cannot be tolerant. We must express both God’s holiness and His love. We do that by forgiving people who have repented, and, following Christ example, we warn people to leave their lives of sin. True love reaches out to help others. Parents that truly love their children will not be permissive and let their children do whatever they want. No. Parents will rebuke and correct their children because they love them. It is not the city council that is showing true love to the homosexuals by using tax dollars to endorse their sinful lifestyle; it is rather the Church that is showing true love by pointing out that homosexuality is a sinful lifestyle and that only through Christ can they be forgiven and given power to live a new life of holiness.

#11 steps to "Dealing With Difficult People" - By Pierre Eade

So here are some biblical tips in dealing with difficult people and mending broken relationships.

#1 Remember, You Can Be Difficult Too

The natural tendency gravitates towards thinking how other people cause you difficulty or pain. But the truth of the matter is that you too can be difficult! Don’t forget, “all have sinned, and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23) and “there is no one righteous, no not one.” (Romans 3:10). You may not be the source of conflict, but can you say that you have never been difficult to get along with yourself? Therefore, the first thing to do in overcoming difficult relationships is to start by examining yourself. Get the proverbial plank out of your own eye by asking yourself some of the following questions.


How might I be contributing to this problem? Has the person really done something wrong (morally) or are they just on my nerves? Have I ever made the same type of mistake that they are making?

Knowing we too can be difficult, and that we have also sinned, it is wise to be slow in judging others for their behavior or words even when it’s clearly sinful in our own eyes. "Don't judge, so that you won't be judged. For with whatever judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with whatever measure you measure, it will be measured to you. Why do you see the speck that is in your brother's eye, but don't consider the beam that is in your own eye? Or how will you tell your brother, 'Let me remove the speck from your eye;' and behold, the beam is in your own eye? You hypocrite! First remove the beam out of your own eye, and then you can see clearly to remove the speck out of your brother's eye." Matthew 7:1-5

#2 You Are Accountable to God for Your Own Behavior

You may not be able to control Uncle Ralph’s bad table manners or Aunt Gene’s critical nature, but you can control your own behavior (words, attitudes and actions). Furthermore, you are not accountable for anyone else’s behavior before you are your own. God is not going to hold you accountable for how others treated you, but will instead look upon your heart. “I the LORD search the heart, I test the mind, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings.” (Jeremiah 17:10)

Since we are accountable before God for our own actions, we need to start by owning up to our own issues and contributions to the problem. You are 100% accountable for 100% of your issues. “He that covers his sins shall not prosper: but whosoever confesses and forsakes them shall have mercy. “ (Proverbs 28:13) Confessing our own faults to God means we avoid making excuses for our own bad behavior and sin. Instead of saying, “You are making me angry” we must stop and realize, “Although I may feel provoked to anger, I make the choice of whether or not I will get angry.”

The blame game is as old as human history. In the garden of Eden, after Adam and Eve disobeyed God and sinned, they both began shifting the blame. Adam said, “The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat.” (Genesis 3:12) Eve then turned around and blamed the devil, "The serpent deceived me, and I ate." (Genesis 3:13) Maturity in Christ requires us to stop shifting the blame upon others and no longer use the excuse, “The devil made me do it.”

#3 God is the Perfect Judge, Human Judgment is Flawed

It is such a relief to allow God the responsibility of judging others and removing that obligation from ourselves. After all, God makes for a great judge. He is omniscient (He sees all) and therefore can judge rightly. He is omnipotent (all powerful) and therefore can punish as needed. He is merciful and therefore can forgive and make pardon. As humans however, we are shortsighted in our judgments and don’t see the whole picture, can be quick to judge based on bad data and unmerciful when offended.

When we judge ourselves and others, we often do so by our own standards and opinion not based on the incorruptible Word of God. Jesus said, “Judge not according to the appearance, but judge with righteous judgment.” (John 7:24) When we compare others against our own standard of what’s right instead of God’s righteousness, we can easily make another person look bad while exalting ourselves. This type of comparison is foolish. “For we dare not make ourselves of the number, or compare ourselves with some that commend themselves: but they measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise. “ (2 Corinthians 10:12)

#4 God Wants to Forgive You

God loves to forgive us. The cross of Jesus Christ is proof of God’s unending love and grace. Our responsibility is to humbly come and ask God for forgiveness for our own faults and sins. “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.” (1 John 1:8-10)

There is no use in hiding from God for our sins are evident to Him. It’s better to “fess up and make up” quickly instead of being stubborn and proud. Just consider Cain who murdered his own brother and then tried playing dumb with God. “And the LORD said to Cain, ‘Where is Abel your brother?’ And he said, ‘I do not know. Am I my brother's keeper?’ And God said, ‘What have you done? The voice of your brother's blood cries unto me from the ground.’ “(Genesis 4:9-10)

#5 God’s Forgiveness is Withheld From Those Who are Unwilling to Forgive

Jesus taught us to pray, “And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.” (Matthew 9:12) In teaching the disciples about forgiveness, Jesus told a story of a servant who was forgiven a great debt, but then went and demanded payment by force from one who owed him very little. (Matthew 18:22-35) In the same way, when we say, “Oh God, forgive me ALL my sins!” and then hold a grudge towards another, we are being hypocritical. For this reason the scriptures instruct us to, “forgive one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.” (Ephesians 4:32) In other words, we are to freely forgive others even when they don’t deserve it or ask for it because God was willing to allow Jesus to die even before we were willing to repent of our sins. “But God commends his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8)

#6 USE DISCRETION in CONFRONTING OTHERS (this one is really important)

After we have reconciled with God ourselves, we need to ask ourselves whether we still need to approach the offender or whether we will graciously pass over their faults without confrontation. “The discretion of a man delays his anger; and it is his glory to overlook a transgression. “ (Proverbs 19:11) When necessary, we should speak to the person directly about the issue. “Moreover if your brother shall trespass against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone: if he shall hear you, you have gained your brother.” (Matthew 18:15)

Instead of speaking directly to a difficult person, we often find it easier to go tell another person what the offender has done wrong. Gossip is ungodly and destructive. (Proverbs 18:8, 20:19, 26:20) We should therefore avoid gossip at all costs. The other problem with gossip is that when we tell someone our own rendition of the story, they will be more inclined to side with us without hearing the other person’s opinion. “He that speaks first in his own cause seems just; until his neighbor comes and examines him.” (Proverbs 18:17)

#7 Our Words are Powerful

You’ve heard the old adage, “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.” Not true! In fact, our words are one of the most powerful resources we have for good or evil. “Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof.” (Proverbs 18:21) Just consider this scenario.

Imagine someone you know walks into a room and shouts at you, “You lazy %!?&S! Can’t you ever pick up after yourself? What’s wrong with you?” Now imagine instead, the same person saying, “Dear, next time, would please remember to pick your socks up off the floor? Thank you.” Now, would you respond more positively if you were addressed with the first or second statement?

It’s obvious when we put ourselves in the shoes of the recipient to know how we’d like to be addressed in a confrontation or any conversation for that matter. We therefore need to apply the same Golden Rule when speaking to others. Our heart must be right and our words need to be tender, (just in case we need to eat them!). “Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, you who are spiritual, restore such a one in the spirit of meekness; considering yourself, lest you also be tempted. “ (Galatians 6:1)

It is also important to note that we should speak with restraint and not give others a “piece of our mind”. “He that has knowledge spares his words: and a man of understanding is of an excellent spirit. Even a fool, when he holds his peace, is counted wise: and he that shuts his lips is esteemed a man of understanding.” (Proverbs 17:27-28) “In the multitude of words sin is not lacking: but he that refrains his lips is wise. “ (Proverbs 10:19)

#8 It is Just as Important to Listen

Our society emphasizes the rights we have to be heard and make our opinions known. While it is good and healthy to be able to freely express ourselves, it is just as important to listen to others. “A fool has no delight in understanding, but in expressing his own heart.” (Proverbs 18:2) It is foolish and prideful to be so enamored by our own opinion that we are unwilling or forgetful to hear another’s heart. If we are not in a place emotionally where we feel we can patiently and calmly listen to another person and only want to express our thoughts, it’s probably smart to take time and cool off before engaging in a conversation. “Therefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger: For the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God.” (James 1:19-20)

#9 God Wants to Give You the Victory in Every Relationship

It is God’s will for His children to live in moral, spiritual and relational victory. “No weapon that is formed against you shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against you in judgment you shall condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their righteousness is of me, says the LORD.” (Isaiah 54:17) To have relational victory means we live in peace with God and are not emotionally unstable and easily distraught. “And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you are called in one body; and be thankful.” (Colossians 3:15)While it is inevitable that challenging situations and people may come our way, God’s power and love is greater than them all. (Romans 8:37-39) Knowing God wants to give us victory, we must walk by faith and not by our feelings, knowing that God is working everything for our good. (1 John 5:4, Romans 8:28) Having this confidence, we can avoid seeking retaliation believing it is God who represents us and will defend us. (Romans 12:17-19) 

#10 Jesus Taught a Higher Way to Live – Unconditional Love

If we are to be true followers of Christ, we must learn to love even the most difficult of people. Listen to Jesus words on how we ought to treat others.

You have heard that it has been said, You shall love your neighbor, and hate your enemy. But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them who despitefully use you, and persecute you; That you may be the children of your Father who is in heaven: for he makes his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. For if you love them who love you, what reward have you? do not even the tax collectors the same? And if you greet your brethren only, what do you more than others? do not even the tax collectors so? Be you therefore perfect, even as your Father who is in heaven is perfect. (Matthew 5:43-48)

Living a life of unconditional love is not just difficult, it’s impossible on our own! But thank God that He has provided not only the path to walk, but the power to walk it. It is not by our own might, will power or strength that we are able to love others, but by God’s Spirit living within us. (Zechariah 4:6) “You are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world. “ (1 John 4:4) We must remember to therefore handle our difficult relationships in a way that would honor God by choosing to walk in the Spirit’s power and not in the power of our flesh. (Galatians 5:15-17)

#11 Dealing With the Difficult Person in Prayer

If in reading this article you feel convicted of your own sin and need to forgive any offenders, I invite you to pray this prayer offering yourself to God and seeking his forgiveness and reconciliation.

"Dear God, 
I come before You humbly admitting my own need for forgiveness and grace. I know that I myself have sinned and fallen short of your standards. Thank you for Jesus’ death and resurrection. I receive his payment for my sins and the new life that comes from his resurrection. I now choose to forgive those who have offended me including, (list any names that come to mind). I forgive them freely as You have so graciously forgiven me. Help me to be a peacemaker, not a trouble maker. Help me to examine myself first before criticizing others for their faults. Fill me with the power, faith and love that I need to have your victory and to thrive even in the most difficult of relationships, in Jesus’ name. Amen."